Clipper City Heavy Seas Holy Sheet

Brewed by Clipper City Brewing Co.
Style: Abbey Dubbel
Baltimore, Maryland USA

Chestnut brown with a tan head that settles quickly to a thin coating of foam. Aroma of apples, cherries, vanilla, and some fusel alcohol. The apple cider from the nose shows up in the flavor, which is not the case with the cherries I detected in the aroma. Bready and sweet, but a light woodsiness lends a slightly dry finish. I thought this was pretty decent, though the alcohol is very apparent in both the nose and on the palate.

This would have to grow on you (if possible). Sweet caramel flavor without much finish. Easily forgettable, IMHO.

Mid 2007 bottle drunk on 7/18/07
Large beige head rapidly falls to ring, leaving no lacing. Clear, dark grape-amber body claims to be bottle conditioned, but the head retention is very poor.
Tacky, Americanized version of a dubbel, with way too much alcohol and about as poor malt depth as you could imagine. It’s like they threw in a caramel chew and one raisin. Apples come out of nowhere and heavily vaporous alcohol ruins the finale. Medium aroma strength.
Biscuity/grainy malts are heavily thinned out on the backend from all of the phenols and alcohol, but begin quite sweet and tacky (caramel, vanilla). Some dark fruits are lightly poignant, but ultimately meld in to the all-consuming alcohol. Absolutely stark mouthfeel with none of the much needed/expected softness/expansiveness of a Belgian bottled ale. Black pepper, clove, light chocolate/roast and alcohol all sting the palate on the end. Did not finish.
I think these guys should give up on the Belgian-style beers....

12 oz bottle from Jimbo. Uh oh. Right off the bat, I knew we had problems. There is very little aroma. It’s a nice amber color, but the flavor is sour and dry, leaving me completely disappointed. Alcohol is up front and kicks you right in the face.

Bottle... Clear copper ale with a small, creamy, off-white head. Chocolaty, fruity aroma with golden raisins, red apple, caramel and a little bit of funk. The flavor is malty, fruity and a touch Flemish. Moderately sweet, medium bitter and medium tangy; decent balance is struck. A touch boozy. Full-bodied with a coarse mouthfeel and lively carbonation. Mostly tangy, lightly bitter, astringent finish. Kudos to growler for providing the bottle!

12 oz bottle via Mystery Swap 2.0 (thanks SHP555!). Pours a semi clear reddish brown with an average sized beige head. Nose is a little fruity but the strong acetone aroma overwelms. Taste starts out candy sweet, then some fruitiness....plums, currants, a little nuttiness, and some warming alcohol in the finish. Some woodiness in the aftertaste. This is interesting and almost tastes more like a mixed drink than a beer! ABV is quite noticable for only 9%....seems more like 13%...Body is medium/full and carbonation is low/medium. This one is a bit rough around the edges...

Bottle. When I first had this beer I thought it was awful and tried to chug it as fast as possible to get rid of it. But as the six pack was almost finished I grew to like it. The aroma and taste were sweet and malty with figs, raisins, and caramel.

Aroma is alcohol and fruity. Head is light and pistachio-colored. Very flat on the palate. Flavor is mild with slight alcohol and cinnamon taste.